The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-06-12
BISHOP TAYLOR In AFRICA
He Returns to the Coast and Spends
Sixty Days in Agricultural Pursuits.
Establishing Line Of New Stations on the
Congo Rivera Sample Of the Method of
Administering Capital Punishment.


Written for the Sunday Journal.
ST. PAUL DE LoANDA. Angola, Africa, March
l2.-When the missionaries to whom Bishop
TAYLOR had intrusted the management of the
Malanee station reached him at that town they
brought letters and papers conveying informa-
ton that caused a radical change in the Bishops
programme This information was of a geo.
graphical nature TIE Bishops original design
was to reach the tribes of central Africa by
trip overland. planting stations about City miles
apart along the line of march The two or three
explorers who had crossed the continent had re-
ported that the territory known Lunda, six
to fifteen degrees south of the equator, con-
tanned dense population that had never seen
missionary or heard the name of Christ. Many
large rivers rise in this territory and flow to the
north, and it was not until the explorations of
Stanley that it was even surmised that they de-
bouched into the Congo at the time the Bishop
began his great enterprise, the latest maps
showed these rivers flowing into the Congo from
1000 to 1900 miles from It's mouth. But every
succeeding six months makes the latest Congo
region out of date. The most important rivers
of the Lunda and Baiuba territories were the
Rascal, the Sankuru and the Lulua. It was to
the Kassai that Bishop Taylor was aiming as his
first great objective point The information
brought TO him at Malanee was to the effect that
an explorer who set out in boat upon the upper
Kassai, away in the middle of Africa, had foated
down stream to its mouth; that he had found
that the Kassai, instead Of continuing to the
uorth, according to the clever hypothesis of
geographers. turned sharply to the west about
Eve degrees south OF the equator, and flowed
snto the Congo at point about three degrees
south and about one thousand miles nearer the
ocean than had been supposed. Further, that
the Sankuru and Luua rivers. instead Of empty
ing into the Congo directly, flowed into the Kis-
sal river the border Of the Congo Free State
and Lunda. The report also declared that the
Kassai and it's two important tributaries were
navgabls for great distances This gave the
Bishop the idea that he could reach the central
African region more quickly and effectively by
way of the rivers than by the tosome and slow
journey overland. Still it did not seem right to
abandon the stations already planted, and, ac,
continue the station plan the line
already instituted and to work his way down the
rivers also. DIR. Summers therefore in
structed to proceed from Malange further iuto
the interior. across the Angola boundary into
Lunda and select new places for stations until
he should reach the upper Kassai river. Mean
time the Bishop would return to the coast and
what could be done about getting up the
Congo and then mp the kassai to connect with
the stations that the Doctor should have Sc
lected.
The Bishops return to the coast was entirely
on foot. and when he reached this town he had
lost forty pounds, but he was in fairly good
trim. All the way 20 Dondo he found the natives
Eager to him and help him along. The sta
tons he had planted were in good condition. At
Dondo he found that no boat would 60 down the
Coanza for several weeks, and he accordingly
tramped the two hundred and more miles to the
coast. Here he met Lieutenant Wissman and
other famous explorers and learned more about
the Congo and it's tributaries. Then he went to
London. While recuperating in Europe he OBJ
timber be used on the Congo kassai, and
brought them with him on his return.
He first visited his churches IL. in
coast to Mayumbs. where he proposed to wait
for consignment of missionaries from
America. Learning that he had upwards of
two months to wait he went up to Mani about
thirty miles inland where a French Methodist
named Benoit was living. Benoit was just re-
covering from fever when the Bishop arrived,
but he willingly set to work with his inspiring
superior to prepare an Industrial farm and school
for the basis of q self-supporting mission.
Mamba is in French territory and all the schools
French. Many natives understand that
language. therefore. and the two missionaries
got along faster there than the Bishop or any
took a great deal of hard work to pre-
pare the land for farming and to
erect the necessary buildings For two
months the Bishop worked with hoe. and saw,
and AK. and hammer from six to eight hours a
day, six days in the week, and not only retained
the flesh he had added during his trip to Eng
land, but grew stronger and healthier. And
fever stricken Benoit became as sturdy as an OK
They obtained grant of 1000 acres from the
ly digged over and planted with coffee corn,
sweet potatoes. cassava, yams, and the like.
Another portion was planted with sugar, and
ginger, and other products that may make mat
ter for export For the Bishop encourages his
missionaries to dip into trade. not only to help
them in becoming disappearing but that they
may teach the natives eventually to do the same
thing well and successfully Bishop Taylo Is
firm believer in the progress of Industrial and
religious education slae Dy sds R Bss,oo sns
Mr. Benoit at Mamba they cut down trees.
hewed timber, worked q pt-saw, drove nails and
did everything else necessary to the construction
OF house They attempted to employ natives
on the field work, but finding that they were in
competent. discharged them after \ day or two.
preached Benoit left in charge OF the
Mamba station when the Bishop went down to
Mayumoa TO meet his new missionaries. he
went on board with them-they we're twenty ia
number-and proceeded TO the mouth OF the
Congo. just north of the steamers destination
is the town Kabinda, where a stop of several
days was made. The missionaries got off there,
and were Jealous to establish a station on the
spot at once. 1t is in Portuguese territory, and
no difficulty was experienced in getting the de-
sired land grant. Rev. j. l.. Judson, a colored
man, was eft in charge. with two others for as
sistants 1t is very populous country, several
hundred thousand people living within radius
of fifteen miles of kabindn.
Bishop Taylor selected ten mission aries, in
Guiding one woman, Mrs Roxy Elkins, TO go
with him up the Congo and begin the new line of
stations They taken from Kabinda to
Banana in the English steamer by which they
had come from London. Banana is an impor-
tant port at the very mouth of the Congo.
During his European trip the Bishop had
visited Belgium, whose King. Leopold III, is at
the head or the Congo Free State government,
and had obtained from him letters authorizing
the officials Banana to transport the party of
missionaries up the Congo to Matadi. a distance
OF about one hundred miles. Although the
Congo is navigable over almost it's entire length,
the exception occurs its mouth. After
flowing many hundreds OF miles through central
Africa il comes to the chain of mountains that
extend around the coast of nearly the whole
continent, and from Stanley Pool to a short
distance above Matadi there 10 a succession of
impassable rapids. 1t is tho design of Stanley
and the other Congo Free State people to build
railroad along the banks of the river from the
pool Itis at present the chief obstacle in the way
of the developments of the Free State and its
resources. The Bishop was anxious to take the